Here are the defensemen value rankings for Saturday, December 12:
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Burns (SJ) | vs. MIN | 10 |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI) | vs. CAR | 9 |
| Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF) | vs. LA | 8 |
| Shea Weber (NAS) | vs. COL | 8 |
| Roman Josi (NAS) | vs. COL | 8 |
| Colton Parayko (STL) | vs. DAL | 8 |
Burns' fantasy production reads like a .gif on loop: massive shots on goal totals and plenty of goals and assists. Even when he doesn't register a point in the game, like Tuesday in Edmonton, he left with seven shots on goal. As Ken Conrad wrote on Wednesday, Burns is simply playing on another level right now that completely defies expectations of what a blueliner should be.
Best of the Rest
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Suter (MIN) | at SJ | 7 |
| Ryan McDonagh (NYR) | at CGY | 7 |
| John Klingberg (DAL) | at STL | 6 |
| Kevin Shattenkirk (STL) | vs. DAL | 6 |
| P.K. Subban (MTL) | vs. OTT | 6 |
| Andrei Markov (MTL) | vs. OTT | 6 |
| Justin Faulk (CAR) | at ARI | 5 |
| Drew Doughty (LA) | at BUF | 5 |
| Erik Karlsson (OTT) | at MTL | 5 |
| Victor Hedman (TB) | vs. WAS | 4 |
Klingberg is in the midst of a breakout season that should crush the forty points he recorded in his rookie campaign. While 10 points in his last 10 games helps the high-powered Dallas offense win games, with just one goal over that span, his DFS ceiling isn't as high as other defensemen. Subban can empathize with Klingberg; the Habs' star has just one goal to 20 assists this year.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Boychuk (NYI) | at CLB | 4 |
| John Carlson (WAS) | at TB | 3 |
| David Savard (CLB) | vs. NYI | 2 |
| Mike Giordano (CGY) | vs. NYR | 2 |
| Erik Johnson (COL) | at NAS | 2 |
Boychuk, Savard and Johnson are name-brand blueliners that haven't been lighting up the stat sheet this year. For the top-10 salaries that Giordano and Carlson command, there are better options on the slate than picking against the elite goaltending of New York and Tampa Bay.
